Campton Hills to vote on dissolution

Campton Hills residents will be deciding their future in a more local way than most voters this Election Day when they consider a referendum measure to dissolve the 18-month-old village.

Ever since residents voted to incorporate in April 2007, a vocal group of homeowners called Free Us From Campton Hills has been pushing steadfastly to rescind the move. Although the group was outvoted earlier this year in a bid to have a slate of candidates elected to the village board, a judge ruled that a referendum measure for dissolution be placed on the upcoming ballot.

"A majority of residents voted to incorporate as a village, and we're confident they will want to keep it that way in the next election," Campton Hills Village President Patsy Smith said.

A special Census this summer affirmed that the total population of the village was 13,483, up from 10,504 in the 2000 Census, garnering Campton Hills $400,000 in additional annual revenue.

But since last year, small pockets of homeowners on the borders of Campton have sought to disconnect from village boundaries. Last Thursday, an Appellate Court ruled that five residential areas constituting 708 residents could withdraw from the village.

"Even though these areas were allowed to disconnect, and additional disconnections may take place, it represents just 5 percent of our population," Smith said. "We are confident that the village is still viable."

Since making the move to incorporate, Campton Hills now has its own police department and tax revenue that streams into the local government instead of the county.

Opponents of the incorporation say that it adds a layer of government that they don't need and that infringes on their rural lifestyle.